Automotive electronics are electrically-generated systems that are used in automobiles. The first automotive electronic pieces were used to control engine functions of the automobiles and were referred to as Electronic Control Units (ECUs). The number of ECUs being used in an automobile has increased as the automotive electronic controls began to be used for more automotive applications. Some applications of using ECUs in automobiles include transmission control, chassis control, active safety, driver assistance, infotainment systems and passenger comfort. In fact, many automobile buyers today care more about the automotive electronics embedded in the automobile than actual functioning of the automobile.
On the other hand, the automotive electronics of the automobiles demand one of the highest real time deadlines, as the engine itself is a very fast and complex part of the automobile. Originally the automotive electronics systems were simple embedded systems. But in recent years, the complexity of those systems has increased which led to use of complex system with high level operating systems (QNX, Linux, Win CE etc.). But, due to the added complexity the booting process of the automotive electronics system is slower at times. This in turn delays the critical functional process related to the automotive electronics in the automobile.
The existing automobile assemblies make use of a standard vehicle bus, called a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus, to allow various ECUs and hardware components in the automobile to communicate with each other during use of the various automotive electronics. However, due to delay in the booting process, the CAN based applications start functioning long after the CAN bus starts functioning. This delay in the booting process causes a delay in communication, within the CAN bus. Typically, a CAN bus availability expectation is 100 milliseconds to 300 milliseconds. Whereas a high level OS takes few seconds to boot-up and make the CAN network available. Hence, there is a need for a method and system that reduces the time taken to make the CAN bus available well before the ECU operating system finishes boot-up.
The challenges mainly faced in booting the automotive electronics in the automobile include achieving a simultaneous initiation of the operating system and the applications of the ECU during booting of the automotive electronics in the ECU of the automobile.